ing voice. They present to the eyes of men the great volume of nature, for them to read therein the glory of God. The sun has his station as in a royal tabernacle, and goes forth as a bridegroom for beauty and as a hero for strength. But no effects are described as following from them. It is only when we come to the law of the Lord that we hear of conversion, wisdom, joy, illumination, and fear.

I proceed next to consider,

III. THE HIGH AND AFFECTIONATE REGARD WHICH WE SHOULD PAY TO THE HOLY SCRIPTURES. -More to be desired are they than gold, yea than much fine gold; sweeter also than honey, and the honey-comb.

With respect to their value, they are more precious than gold; whilst for delight, they are sweeter than honey. In the first point of view, they are the objects of our esteem; in the second, of our love.

AS TO ITS VALUE, THE WORD OF GOD IS MORE PRECIOUS THAN GOLD. This is a conséquence of what has been already stated. For, if the Scriptures possess such excellent qualities, and are capable, under the influences of the Holy Spirit, of producing such astonishing effects, then the merchandise of them must be better than the merchandise of silver, and the gain thereof than fine gold. The penitent who has

1

felt the authority of divine truth, and who has experienced its transforming virtue, will necessarily esteem it above all earthly riches. For, what shall a man be profited, if he gain the whole world and lose his own soul? Observe how men in general value gold; with what diligence they acquire it, with what care they preserve it, with what sorrow they lose it. And shall not a Christian much more value his Bible? Do not the Scriptures contain durable riches and righteousness? Do they not relate to spiritual and unseen and eternal blessings? Do they not regard the soul? Do they not reveal the way of salvation? Do they not open all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge, yea, the unsearchable riches of Christ? And shall he not count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus his Lord? Can this saving knowledge be gotten for gold, or can silver be weighed for the price thereof? Can it be valued with the gold of Ophir, with the precious onyx or the sapphire? Can the gold or the crystal equal it; or can the exchange of it be for jewels of fine gold?

But it is not enough to esteem the Holy Scriptures; we must love them,-FOR DELIGHT,

THEY MUST BE SWEETER THAN HONEY AND THE

HONEY-COMB. How emphatic are these expressions! In the preceding clause, the value of gold was heightened by the words, fine gold,

and, much fine gold. But even this fell short of conveying the full meaning of the Psalmist. Men may highly esteem what they are still unable to love. But the word of God is not only to be esteemed as gold, but to be delighted in more than the most refined pleasures of sense. Honey, proverbial as it is for its sweetness; yea the honey-comb, or, as it is in the margin, the droppings of honey, that which flows of itself and bursts from the comb, and is therefore most clear and refined-is but a faint image of the treasure which the Christian finds in the Holy Bible. He esteems the words of God's mouth more than his necessary food. His soul is satisfied thereby as with marrow and fatness, whilst his mouth praises God with joyful lips. Yes, there is a delight in the prospect of salvation, in the discoveries of faith, in the contemplation of the promises, in the intimacies of communion, which no words can express. There is not only the knowledge of Christ, but the savour of that knowledge, in the sacred Volume. The name of the Redeemer is as ointment poured forth. All his garments smell, as it were, of myrrh and aloes and cassia out of the ivory palaces whereby they have made him glad. Such language expresses the joy of the Christian in the knowledge of his Saviour, the relish and repose and refreshment and reviving of soul which he derives from the knowledge of him; and therefore thẹ

delight with which he loves the word of the truth of the Gospel. This is a point, I am aware, which worldly persons can little understand. They have never felt the burden of their sins, and never been converted and enlightened by the means of the Holy Volume; and therefore have never been in circumstances to experience this delight in the words of pardon and salvation. Like persons with a diseased taste, the sweetest food has no relish to them. But the fact is not, on this account, either the less true or the less important, that, to the awakened and illuminated mind, there is an inexpressible savour and unction and fragrance in the truths of the sacred Scriptures.

But this leads me, in conclusion, to apply the whole of what has been said, by

I. INQUIRING WHAT WE OURSELVES KNOW OF THE WORD OF GOD, AND WHAT EFFECTS IT HAS

PRODUCED UPON US.

Have we submitted to the AUTHORITY of Holy Scripture? Have we read and prayed over our Bibles? Do we implicitly bow to the authority of revelation? Do we see that the word of God is perfect and sure and right and pure and eternal? Do we silence the vain reasonings of our corrupt hearts, and simply follow the teaching of the Sacred Volume? Or, instead of doing this, do we satisfy ourselves with

loose and general notions about religion? Do we follow the fashionable standard of opinion around us, and virtually disregard or deny the authority of revealed truth?

What are the EFFECTS which the Bible has produced in us? Supposing that we read our Bibles, which I will now take for granted, let me inquire if we read them seriously and practically, with the express design of saving our souls? Have they been the means of turning us from sin and folly to God? Have they made us wise unto salvation? Have they communieated to us a holy joy? Have they enlightened our eyes? Have they implanted and nourished in us the fear of the Lord?

If they have not done something of all this for us, I need not ask what VALUE you put on them. I need not ask whether you desire them more than gold, and find them sweeter than the honey-comb. Alas! in this case you are as yet dead to God and religion. No book is probably so dull and uninteresting to you as the Bible. No book so little prized, and so little read. Whilst the royal Psalmist esteemed so highly the small portion of the Scriptures which was extant when he wrote the words of my text, and which was probably little more than the five books of Moses; you disregard the Sacred Volume, now that it contains the full and perfect revelation of the will of God. You are ready